Meet Me
by nightsofcabiria
Summary: Based on "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". They wanted to forget each other, they were provided with the possibility.
1. Chapter 1

_So, this is Dan and Blair, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind fanfiction version. Is not quite literally as the movie, but I think that some quotes that I truly enjoy in the movie, I will use them here. Basics: Why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? Because it is my favorite Movie. Is this AU? Yes. Why are they OOC? I am trying to write them in character, if I fail terribly, please help me, I'm only as good as my readers. This wasn't checked by a beta so apologies in advance._

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**Chapter 1**

She couldn't believe Humphrey would be capable of doing it. Scratch that, now that she thought about it well, that Brooklyn's Benedict Arnold was capable of anything. She was, in one word: angry; in two words: very angry. And no wonder, just yesterday she had visited Serena and Nate in search of clues on why Dan was treating her like the biggest stranger and playing the ignorant on everything she was telling him when she visited him at the loft; and what was her surprise when the golden couple told her not to bother Dan anymore. Their nerve!

"But S, you can't tell me that! Is that what you told Humphrey? To ignore me completely? Well, he took your advice in the most exaggerating manner."

"I did no such think B, It's just… too difficult to explain." Was Serena's retort.

"What is too difficult to explain? Is an overestimated exposed to Nate what got you so confused?"

"What… does that mean?" She could hear Nate tell her from behind Serena, using her kind of like a human shield, not wanting to get involved.

"Blair, calm down, we all know you left Dan for Chuck so I don't know what problem can possibly cause you not bothering him. Just let him be." Serena told her.

"Is that what you think? That I left Dan for Chuck? Why does everyone think that? It didn't happen that way!"

"Of course we think that, anyone from the outside will think you left Dan for Chuck…" Nate could say before Blair interrupted him.

"Archibald, if what you are saying is in no way whatsoever useful for the conversation, then, thank you for your input!" She told him, "Now, what I want to know is what is happening exactly? What has Dan told you?"

"B, what happened between you two? I mean, we need to know, you two are our best friends." Serena asked her.

"I don't know, we got into the tiniest fight, then one thing lead to another and it got dimensional and after a few minutes I left the loft shouting things I didn't meant. Next thing I know, we're not together anymore. My pride stopped me from giving the first step. But now, I try to be the bigger person and make things work again, the problem is, I can't make things work if he ignores me completely." She finished talking with teary eyes.

"Wow, B, I'm so sorry." Serena tried to comfort her.

"Yes, we truly are." Nate, in his own way, tried to comfort her too.

"Why are you sorry for? It's not like this has anything to do with you."

"We are not sorry "sorry" B, we are…" Serena began.

"Blair, I think there is something you need to see." Nate interrupted her and proceeded to take a rectangular yellow paper which he handed to her and Blair read the words she swears she will never forget because they sealed her fate:

_Dear Mrs. and Mr. Archibald_

_**Daniel Randolph Humphrey**__ has had __**Blair Cornelia Waldorf**__ erased from her memory. Please never mention their relationship to him again._

_Thank you._

_LACUNA INC._

"What is this?" She practically shouted.

"I don't know; this place that does this thing." Nate told her.

"Nate, be more specific, what thing, what? Ugh, I can't rely in you on this, Serena, what is this?" Blair was bordering into a nerve attack.

"We don't know completely either, all we understood is that he erased you, so, you are not and were never part of his life anymore." Serena tells her.

"But… how? How is this even possible?" She tells her pointing to the yellow paper. "And is not like I've only been in Dan's life for a month or two, if he erased me this means various years, we have known each other since high school. So if he erased all of me, then he doesn't remember high school?"

"Blair, we are not scientists," Nate informs her, "All we know is that he only erased you, and only you. He has collective memories of high school, everything else. He remembers Serena and me; he just doesn't remember _you_."

"As you can tell B, we really don't know. If you want to inform yourself better, as you always do, contact this Lacuna Inc. thing. I'm sure they will be able to provide answers, we are just telling you to leave Dan alone."

As if she could. As if she just could let Dan be. She couldn't even sleep well on these thoughts; replaying in her mind a thousand times the conversation she had with Serena and Nate. She did follow their advance, though. She contacted Lacuna Inc. and she made damn sure they listened to her. She wanted answers and she was going to get them.

"What is this?" She asked to the doctor that was in front of her. It seemed that this question was becoming part of her everyday vocabulary rather quickly.

"You shouldn't have seen this." The doctor referred to the damn tiny yellow paper that Blair couldn't let go off. "I apologize."

"Is this some kind of sick joke? It surely has to be, if Humphrey is doing this to "teach me a lesson", I swear…"

"I assure you it's not a joke, or anything near that. This is a serious issue, Mr. Humphrey erased you."

"But why? Why would he do that?"

"Look, our files are confidential Miss Waldorf, so I can't show you evidence, suffice it to say that Mr. Humphrey was not happy and he wanted to move on. We provided that possibility"

He wanted to move on. _He wanted to move on_. The words lingered the rest of the day in her mind, permanent, almost like a tattoo. He wanted to move on. _He was not happy_.

"We provided that possibility! What the hell is that?" Blair still couldn't understand.

After visiting LACUNA, Blair went to Nate and Serena's penthouse trying to make some sense of the whole situation, it was not possible.

"Blair, you know Dan, he is a writer, he writes stories, fiction. He probably thought that this whole erasing process was magical or a fantasy or something he dived into not giving it that much of a thought." Serena tried to reassure her.

"A fantasy." Blair sighed. It was all Blair got from everything Serena told her. Dan erasing her was his fantasy. Oh great!

She felt pathetic really; she was currently in her bed crying over Dan Humphrey, mourning Dan Humphrey. "Why? Why? Why?" Was all she could say between sobs. This couldn't possibly be her life, she couldn't, she just couldn't live with the thought that Dan Humphrey didn't remembered her, didn't… anything. But then, after many hours of being in this state, a thought got into her. She wanted the procedure done. She wanted to erase Humphrey.

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_This is it for now, like a preface of sorts. I am trying to solve problems of continuity (because the movie was so confusing for me the first time) I still don't know if I will go in lineal timeline or all over the place. BTW, the triangular story of Mary, Stan, and Mierzwiak doesn't exist. I still don't know if I'll have a Patrick in here. (less creepy version, obviously, and just the new romantic interest for Dan in here.) Anyway, hope its all clear for now, please, PLEASE, give me your honest opinion, I just had this idea and wanted to get it out of my system. Encourage me or discourage me to continue._


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm sorry it took so long. I didn't have the inspiration and it took time to figure out how to develop correctly this story. I think I got it. This is a short chapter. Enjoy!**

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Confusion and Anxiety. These are the two words that travel through his mind on and off. In capital letters because that is the resonance they have in him these past few days.

Why?

He doesn't know. He just knows that suddenly, one morning, he woke-up with a horrible headache and the terrible feeling that he had lost something, or _someone_. After a few days of feeling anxious, he tried talking to Nate and Serena. They couldn't give him answers, that he knew, but he hoped they could help him make sense of all this nonsense and _when was the last time he could think straight? _

His writing was the first to go. He wasn't really surprised, he kind of expected it. Between his own anxiety and everyone around him avoiding his questions, he couldn't get inspired. He just couldn't.

In his debacle, he even tried contacting Vanessa. She was always the friend that made sense, which even so slightly reassured him. Suffice to say she was ecstatic to see him and Dan had to admit he was happy as well. Except, after a few minutes he wasn't too happy because even Vanessa wasn't able to make him feel calm again. He noticed she wanted to help, she really did; but something was stopping her.

Dan tries to get things back to normal, and it finally seems to work because he doesn't feel anxious anymore. He believes this fading of his anxiety is not only relaxing him but the people around him. Nate and Serena begin to invite him to brunch again and even hang with him on weeknights. And when he tells them about an exhibition he wants to check out or a film he wants to see, they surprisingly always want to come with him.

His dad tells him that he should try dating or at least to put himself out there. Dan doesn't want to, he can't explain why but he just doesn't feel like he should. It may seem a bit strange but feels that he is betraying someone. He doesn't understand why because he hasn't dated in a long time.

Instead, he takes refuge in Vanessa. Is all platonic, he states that and she understands. In fact, she tells him all about her life since they parted ways. She tells him that she is doing very well and that she is actually starting a new film project. When he asks her how she managed to find a decent script she tells him that she somehow got lucky and found one of the best screenwriters of their generation and they have been dating ever since. Dan wants to tell her it is dangerous to mix romance with work, but he doesn't. He doesn't want to upset Vanessa now that they have found common ground.

All in all, Dan is in a good place now. Everything is normal and he even starts writing again. Nothing serious, just short stories. He experiments with essays and he starts to like it. He e-mails Alessandra one of his essays and she pursues him to write more. Maybe they could publish a compilation. He likes the idea.

This is exactly what Dan is doing one afternoon, just writing. He's in his zone with his black coffee at hand when he hears it. A knock on the door. And another. And another one more desperate than the last two. He doesn't want to answer it because he is very concentrated but the knocks have already disturbed him so he gets up and opens the door.

There she is. Well, he doesn't know who she is but the woman in front of him has a really strong presence. She starts yelling at him, asking him why he hasn't returned her calls.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Miss…?" Dan tells her.

"Humphrey, Dan, don't pretend you don't know my name. I get it, I get that you are mad and hurt but you can't ignore me, I have suffered enough this past weeks without you. Let's talk this out, solve this like the adults we are."

"I don't have any idea what you are talking about."

"Dan, please" he could hear the desperation in her voice.

"I'm so sorry, but really, I am not playing dumb here, I don't know who you are and I don't know what you are talking about and please can you get out of my place because you are really creeping me out." He tells her and Dan kind of regrets what he says when he sees the sadness in her eyes but he stands by it because she does scares him a bit.

"Dan, no, please." The woman is crying now and he doesn't know what to do. "How many times I have to tell you I'm sorry? I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I yelled at you, I'm so sorry I compared you with Chuck. I let my anger talk and I don't feel that way, I know you think I left you that night for him, but I didn't!"

"You really need to leave."

"Do not change the subject! I am apologizing but you ought to apologize as well. We both said things we regret. I know I regret them. Dan, let us talk, don't ignore this, don't ignore _us_."

All right. He had heard enough. This woman was not leaving his loft anytime soon and he knew it. "If you don't leave I'm calling the police." He tells her and that doesn't affect her in the slightest so he gets kind of desperate and says to her: "If you don't leave I'll ask for a restraining order!" That seems to make the deal because after saying this, she leaves.

The visit unsettles him, and for the first time in weeks, he doesn't sleep well.

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**So, the only thing I think, might be a problem ,is Dan knowing/finding out about Inside when he has now erased Blair. I figure that, in here, I could take some liberty and you know, just let him believe that he somehow got inspired by a fictional muse. Anyway, Inside will barely or not be mentioned in the "real world" [a.k.a. where Dan has already erased Blair]. If you have questions, ask them. Also, something I wanted to clarify, someone left a review on the first chapter telling me that now that Dan has forgotten about Blair, Serena or Vanessa will take advantage of it and try to make a move. In my story, it is not going to happen this way. I don't hate Serena anymore and in my fic she is married to Nate [SERENATE FTW!] and I've always liked Vanessa. Before Dair hooked me in completely in mid-season 4, Vanessa was my favorite character and at times the only reason I watched GG, so I only have fond memories. In this fic, most probably, there won't be a "Patrick, baby boy". Please, leave a review. Opinions, much appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

**This is too short but is all I can manage with the little inspiration I get from the show where the writers can't seem to get anything right. I owe it to you to at least update. Even when this is short I feel it is quite decent. I know, I know, not a lot of action takes place, I'll get there, I promise. When the memory erasing starts, so does the action, oh the irony.**

**Just to let you know, I don't have a beta. Mistakes are all mine. Also, I'll always love Dan and Blair no matter how much they are slaughtering them in canon. **

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It is easier said than done. Ever since Blair had taken the decision that she wanted the procedure done, she took the necessary precautions. Guided by Dr. Mierzwiak, little by little she emptied her life of Daniel Humphrey. She threw away pictures; she threw away memorabilia; and donated to old book stores the books in which Dan had scribbled something for her among their pages. Phrases like: "You and Me" in the very first page of _Emma_ or quick ideas or topics he wanted to discuss with her when she finished reading a certain book were gone. As much at it pained her she knew she had to do this, to forget him. Knowing he was out there and had no idea who she was, who they were and what they could be, hurt her very much.

There was just one thing, or rather, a collection of things that formed a one big thing that she could not get rid of. She knew she couldn't keep them but she knew she couldn't throw them away like it meant nothing. Perhaps they were her most valuable possession so she confided them to Serena: the letters that Daniel Randolph Humphrey had written to her.

"You can freely read them, S. I would not care if you do, I wouldn't even remember them."

"Blair, are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. It would be very confusing if I woke up knowing nothing and someday I'll find the letters. It just won't do. I want you to have them Serena, because I need to at least subconsciously know they are in good hands."

And with that she handed to Serena a wooden box where letters written in the span of 3 years and 8 months lay. Some were several pages long, some were short, and some were very short. _(One-line letters, perhaps_.) Along with them, and in the same wooden box, was the cubic zirconia tiara, which Dan once gave to her.

With that last act of detachment she is ready to go through the procedure. She knows that Lacuna handles how her relatives and friends are to be informed of her decision on erasing Daniel. But she needs to explain her reasoning as well so she writes them all letters. To her mom, to Cyrus, to her dad, to Roman (even if they never were too close), to Serena, to Nate, to Dorota and yes, even to Chuck. The general contents of the letters, apart of an explanation of sorts, are a farewell. She knows, she really understands that she is just not going to remember Humphrey and when the procedure is done, she will fully know who each of this people are and what she had been through with them. But she writes the letters anyway.

She makes arrangements for Dorota to let the people that are going to erase her selected memory with ease and of course, if she can, as a favor, monitor her. Dorota insists that she stops everything right now, it is not too late. But Blair just stops her with a sadden smile and tells her it is all for the best.

She goes to sleep knowing who Dan Humphrey is. She will wake up not knowing who Dan Humphrey is.

Everything in between of these two events, she doesn't know.

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Ever since that mysterious woman visited him screaming at the top of her voice Dan is unsettled. Very unsettled; even more than before. The next day from the event he almost wishes for the girl to come back and give him some sort of information. To tell him something. He is positively sure that this woman and the emptiness he has been feeling are correlated. He just doesn't know how.

A few days passed without a sign from her. He visits Nate and Serena for their weekly dinner plans and he tells them about the strange encounter before getting distracted by a non consequential text by Jenny. This is why he doesn't notice the share look Serena and Nate have. Or the nervous tick Serena has of tapping her foot which he knows so well and annoys him so much.

"Dude, I really think you should let this go. It is not good for your sanity to obsess over an event that has nothing to do with you. That woman obviously confused you for someone else." Nate tells him.

"I know, I know. But I just can't let it go. I have a feeling…"

"Dan, you should really listen to Nate and just forget about it. Maybe focus completely in your compilation of essays?" Serena interrupts him.

And with that, Dan feels overruled and a change of topic occurs. The night flows smoothly and he forgets about his worries. His two best friends are what he needs now, he assures himself. Yes, he really needs to let this nonsense go.

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**Opinons and suggestions? A review is in need.**


	4. Chapter 4

_This part doesn't really advances the plot but I got this in my head, how Serena and Nate kind of deal with the situation. I don't know, I just wanted to write this so... Also. I don't really know if Natey is well-written/said. But I think I remember sometimes Serena called Nate this way or maybe I'm just imagining things because I ship Serenate. Anyway, enjoy. _

_As always, all mistakes are mine and I apologize in advance. Here's to hoping that at least they're tolerable enough to read the chapter without problem._

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Serena and Nate really had it difficult. You would think that they were handling this situation as care free as they are, but they don't. Who can blame them? Two of their best friends seemed to have this magical idea that erasing each other is the solution to their problems.

"Really?" Nate tells Serena one afternoon when they decide to sit down and discuss the situation properly. "And we're supposed to be the immature ones?"

"I know, Natie." Serena tries to comfort them both. "But what should we do? Dan doesn't know who Blair is anymore and Blair is in process. You read the letters she wrote to us. Nothing we can say can make her change her mind."

"It's just…" Nate exhales while holding his head, "It is very frustrating to see this situation unfold in front of us, Serena. I mean, we could be doing something! "

"Nate, stop it!" Serena tries to reason. "There's nothing we can do! Let's just focus on making it easier for all of us."

"And how? How can we make this situation easier?"

"First of all, not fighting between us, this is not between you and me, this is, or rather, was, between Dan and Blair. Second, I think we really need to clean our penthouse of pictures where Dan and Blair are together. I mean come on, we're very lucky Dan hasn't noticed. All the time he's been hanging around here, one will think…"

"Don't even mention it. Even one picture will be so difficult to explain. At least you hid the letters Blair gave you, right?"

"Of course. They're at our closet, top shelf. And while we're at that, you did hide the letters that Dan gave you?"

"You mean the pseudo-letters? At the top shelf as well. What? Don't look at me like that! Don't get me wrong, they're full of feelings and as far as I can tell, they're very well written, but Dan is a writer and the letters Blair wrote to him, don't compare."

"Nate! That's very cruel of your part."

"How is that cruel? Besides, is not like I read them all. I didn't even read one completely. I took a peek, just to see what we were dealing whit. You know how much I respect other people's privacy."

"Maybe you read one that was not very good? And if we're coming clean, I might have read one or two of both boxes. I thought it was romantic, writing each other's notes and letters. We should do that Natie."

"Serena as much as I love you, I know we both don't have the commitment to write something to each other, _every day_."

"Well, not _every day_, but you know, here and now, a letter from your part will be really nice."

"Thinking of it, it would. Though, it won't say anything new. You know that I love you, is not like I hide it."

Serena just smiles at him.

"It's true. It is no secret!"

"I know it, Natie, and I love you too." Serena holds his hand. "Let's just make a promise, if we ever fight, big time, promise me you won't erase me."

"Never." And Nate leans over to Serena and kisses her, to seal the promise of course.

"Now, what are we going to do with the Dan and Blair situation?" Serena asks him.

"I thought you told me there was nothing we could do."

"Well…"

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_I apologize for the shortness but I did updated too quickly for my own rhythm. _

_Clues from this chapter may or may not be uses later as a plot device. Opinions on this really bad hidden attempt of squeezing a quasi-one shot serenate in a dair fic? Leave a review._


	5. Chapter 5

**Discalimer. None of the characters are mine.**

**Again, this story doesn't have a beta so bare with me with the grammar mistakes. And sorry in advance with the spelling mistake, I double check if there were any, but maybe one or two may have passed.**

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Blair opened her eyes with a sudden movement. It took her a moment to adjust herself to the light. And even with that, she is still was confused on where she was. One minute she was in her bed, trying to erase Humphrey and still very angry at him because he erased her; the next she is standing in what seems to be Dan's loft.

How the hell did she got there?

"Blair, are you listening to me?"

"Wh-what?"

"Of course." Dan exclaims in an exasperate tone. "I don't even deserve your attention for a second."

"Maybe if you would stop accusing me of something I didn't do I would put attention to you. But right now, I can't even look at you."

"Because it is always my fault, isn't it? Blair Waldorf can never be wrong. Well excuse me if I have doubts."

"Doubts about what? About us?"

"Yes. Yes, about us. It is not normal we are fighting so much. We fight over the tiniest things now, Blair."

"Exactly, tiniest things. Insignificant things. We don't have some major issue we need to solve."

"I feel differently, I feel we really need to solve something, but I don't know what anymore."

Blair is starting to get mad. And when she gets mad, she doesn't control completely what she says. "Thinking about it, I agree with you. Perhaps we need to solve your major jealousy towards Chuck. I've told you I am with you, and that's that. No need to doubt my words."

"How- How is Chuck suddenly part of this conversation? Really Blair, when you somehow mention Chuck in every fight we have, it is reasonable to get a little suspicious. It kind of seems you are not over him"

"I am over him, so over him. What I am not over is you treating me as someone that in any moment can betray you. How would you feel if I got jealous every time you mention Serena?"

"Well I would feel very confused because clearly I have not loved her, seen her like that since a long time ago and her as well, she is with Nate and I'm with _you_."

"But that isn't enough for you, you don't trust me. It's a fact."

"Blair, don't put words into my mouth. I am just saying that we do have some issues."

"And again with that. Why insist making problems where there aren't any?"

"I am not _insisting_. We fight practically every night since the last month. I don't want this to evolve into something bigger."

"I can't talk to you right now."

"Blair…"

"WHAT?" Blair gets pretty desperate at this point. "What do you want to hear Dan? What is it exactly what you want to hear? That I don't love you, that I never did and this is an experiment gone terribly wrong? Maybe that's it. Maybe I'll even get back together with Chuck. " Why is she saying this, she doesn't believe this nonsense but she is very angry because she _feels_ Dan doesn't trust her. And then she sees it, all over again, Dan believes this nonsense. Believes what she is saying is true, when for her it clearly isn't. And how ironical that he decides to trust her in this, she thinks.

"Humphrey…"

"Don't Humphrey me. Clearly you have said what you felt and I understand. No need to clarify anything else."

She was always the one with pride.

"Of course, now everything is my fault. I'll see you another day because we can't talk clearly right now."

She leaves the loft. Between angry and wanting to solve things right now. But she knows that just this isn't the moment. They'll talk later. Problem is, they don't talk later; and when they talk again he is not the same Dan.

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When she takes notice again of her surroundings, she is in her penthouse. Both, her and Dan, in her bed, watching Nights of Cabiria for the fifth, tenth, whatever time.

"You always weep at the end." Dan tells her.

"Yeah, I just… I love it. It's reassuring, like telling you that everything is going to be okay, even if everything is wrong at the moment. Why the obvious observation? Does it bother you?"

"Why would it bother me?"

"I just think, the way you said it, I feel it annoys you."

"Well, it doesn't."

He doesn't say anything else. She doesn't say anything else.

* * *

"And then I was telling Natie: 'Thank God it went well.' I wasn't sure Anne would accept me."

"And why wouldn't she? You are lovely" Nate tells Serena and gives her a quick peck on the lips.

"Anyway, enough about us. How did it go when you met Dan's mother Blair."

Blair didn't know what to answer. True to be told, she hadn't met Dan's mother. At least not in the I-am-your-son's-girlfriend kind of way.

"I- I haven't met her, officially."

Serena and Nate looked at each other rather quickly. Blair noticed.

"Well, I'm sure that it won't be long before you meet her. And even in a worst case scenario, she can't hate you more than she hated me. Daughter of her ex-husband's true love, remember."

"Of course." Blair says in between a fake laugh.

Later that night she gets herself into Dan's loft where he is writing something.

"Why haven't you introduced me to your mother?" She asks in the most casual way she can.

Dan looks at her. "Where did that came from?"

"I was with Serena and Nate this afternoon and the conversation somehow lay in the subject. Why haven't you introduced me, then?

"It just, I didn't knew you wanted to meet her."

"Well, I do. You should have asked."

"I figure that now."

"I mean, you already know my parents, both of them. And Cyrus, and Roman. Looking at it now, it seems too strange that I haven't met your mother."

"I told you, I didn't know you wanted to meet her."

"I want to meet her. We are in a serious relationship, Dan. Or, are you ashamed of me?"

"May I remind you who was the one who was ashamed at first to go out in public with me?"

"That was then, this is now. And that doesn't answer my question.

"Blair," Dan tells her while looking at her straight in the eyes, "I will never be ashamed of you."

"All right. I believe you." And she really does.

Dan seems to think that the subject is settled because he starts typing in his computer again. Blair occupies herself by reading one of Dan's books she left unfinished. It isn't after twenty minutes or so when she remembers that Dan hasn't planned with her a convenient date for her to officially meet Allison.

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**This chapter was particularly difficult for me. At first it was really hard for me to find something for them to fight about. Scratching the surface, I found some things. I needed to emphasize that things were not okay when Dan decided to erase Blair, and I also needed to point out that 'the fight' carried some stuff, some issues that they haven't really talked about. I don't know, I felt weird writing them fighting. I felt I did terribly wrong and I wrote them OOC, but I did my best. I mean, they are not _so_ OOC. At least for me. Anyway, this is the chapter with most fighting, I don't think they'll fight anymore. I don't know. I am very confused right now as to what direction this fic is taking. Please, please, bare with me. I hope that at least you are enjoying this.**


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